Vreede, Adolf de (17th century)

Adolf de Vreede in 1660 presented three petitions to Bern, Switzerland, in behalf of the Bernese Men­nonites, drawn up respectively by the Dutch States General and the cities of Amsterdam and Rotter­dam. De Vreede, who arrived at Bern on 11 June was permitted to converse with the Swiss Brethren who were in prison. This conversation, held in the presence of the Bernese Oberschultheis, had little success; the Swiss Mennonites were stubborn and perhaps somewhat embarrassed by the worldly fig­ure of Vreede and the annoying presence of the Bernese official. They accused the Dutch Mennonites of worldliness and refused to consider the Dutch proposal to leave Switzerland and settle in the Netherlands. Nevertheless as a result of this visit a small number of the Swiss Brethren soon moved to the Netherlands. Concerning de Vreede there is no further information. He is said to have been a Mennonite, but he could not be identified as such.